What I am listening to- Welcome to Zamrock compilations

I have been spending time with 2017s Welcome to Zamrock Volumes 1 and 2. This was a discovery off of a review by Uncut magazine. That said, I know there is a recent documentary as well. There are several places to read about it in on the internet, but the most basic description is that it is Zambian rock from the 70s. As part of the nation’s birth in 1964, the country’s President Kenneth Kaunda implemented content rules that dictated 95% of the music played on the radio had to be Zambian in origin. Much of the genre’s rise and fall also coincided with the country’s success and crash tied to copper mining. The AIDS epidemic also hit the country and the artists hard as well. What interests me is the sound. As an American rock fan, the first thought of 70s African rock is Fela Kurt and Afrobeat. There have been some successful compilations in recent years capturing the best bands from Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. These East African bands have a very strong funk influence. Although there is some funk in Zamrock (the genre’s first major band Musi-o-Tunya is funky for sure), Zamrock’s sound has its own style which is more in line with late 60s/early 70s protometal. The influences here are Cream, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Hendrix. Fuzzy guitar, uptempo bass, psychedelia, blues and simple production all contributed to the sound. I’ve been listening to it alone and with the boy. It is like an alternate universe of American classic FM Rock radio. Except for hearing overplayed standards, it’s the sounds of Zambian legends WITCH (We Intend To Cause Harm) but the feeling is the same. I will leave some WITCH here for you, but check out Blackfoot (not the Southern rock band), Five Revolutions and Born Free as a start.